Episode 17: Parvathi Santhosh-Kumar, StriveTogether – “From Proof Points to Systems Transformation”

The myth is that systems are broken but every system is in fact perfectly designed to get the results it gets. So in order to get different results, and true equity, you’ve got to change the design. Strive Together came to Skid Row School many years ago and met and even exceeded their goals, but then their second goal was not about growth but about changing more deeply and actually achieve systems transformation. Sometimes the numbers keep growing and they may look impressive, but are they reflective of the deeper, longer term changes you seek? In this episode, Parv discusses changing from proof points as an end goal to a milestone along the way. Every child should be put on the path to their fullest potential. In involving everyone in the system, sometimes there are the unusual suspects who also need to be engaged in bringing about change. In the end it is the collective movement of all of these parties to create lasting transformation.

Learn about the Cradle to Career movement
Changing the paradigm to the entire community working together
Identifying the gaps and racial disparities we are trying to close
Being impatient, results based leaders
Values changing from being implicit to operationalizing them in theories of action
The importance of collecting the correct data
Ensuring that values are both internal and external facing
Having a constellation of bright spots
From proof points to the goal posts moving to systems transformation
In most places your vantage point of who needs to be involved opens up if you truly explore what is needed for children to succeed
Challenges are way bigger than any one sector can address so aligning toward a common agenda is what brings about the results
The collaborative improvement approach
Involving those close to the problems in designing solutions
How Strive Together uses Dan Heath’s rider, elephant, path
Leveraging different levels of policy change through the community infrastructure
Coaching, convening, codifier of learning and investor roles within Strive Together to build capacity
The role of positive peer pressure, creating cohorts and learning from each other
Not jumping to solution-itis but truly using some time to identify what are behaviors, mental models or systems problems
How to stay comfortable in the uncomfortable
Activating and motivating others to create ripple effect of change

Links: https://www.strivetogether.org/

http://www.unleashingsocialchange.com/2019/09/10/09-dan-heath-a-primer-on-behavior-change/

Video: https://www.strivetogether.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Theory-of-Action-Poster_052019_Final.pdf

Articles: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/11/globalization-4-means-harnessing-the-power-of-the-group/

https://ssir.org/articles/entry/its_about_results_at_scale_not_collective_impact

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